Facing Foolish Fears
by m-is-for-MollyMansfieldMealing
Summary: Humorous, nearly Freechamp one-shot! Rita hears a scream from Connie's office, and immediately goes to investigate...


**Sorry this is uploaded a little late, I wanted to get it up because I know I'd forget tomorrow if I didn't do it now xD**

 **Had the idea for this for a while actually, but as I said it is late so I hope I haven't totally messed it up! Reviews welcomed :) -Sophie x**

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"Charlie, elderly man needing some cuts patched up on his face. Cubicle 3?" Rita held out the man's pile of notes to the nurse, who nodded before taking them.

"Riveting work, as always." He winked, walking off in the direction of cubicles. The small woman glanced around reception, satisfied that all was well before heading back to check up on a patient. Before she got there however, she heard the most loud-pitched, blood-curding scream to ever grace her ears, coming from inside Connie's office.

Her stomach dropping, Rita darted past some agency nurses and burst through the door to find her boss stood in the corner of the room. Her face was a picture of true horror; mouth a perfect "o", eyes wide and skin pale. Her breathing was bordering on hyperventilation and her whole figure trembled as she locked eyes with the opposite corner of her room. Rita followed her gaze, expecting to find a severed head or a bleeding arm or something, but no; that was not what she found at all.

"You have got to be kidding me. Spiders? That's what you're scared of?" The nurse released a breath she didn't even realise she was holding, and her tense muscles relaxed. Her boss' however, didn't.

"Yes now get rid of it." Connie's voice shook and her eyes never left the small black creature sat on the floor. It was barely larger than 50p piece and sat perfectly still next to the bin. Rita was more amused at the situation than anything.

"The great Constance Beauchamp, nicknamed "Ice Queen", "Wicked Witch" and everything else under the sun, is scared of spiders. Seriously." She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, but the clinical lead just moved back another step and nervously rolled her eyes.

"Yes, thank you for clarifying that Sister Freeman now please move it."

A sparkle embraced Rita's eyes.

"No."

Connie's head shot to face her.

"What the hell do you mean "no"?" She snapped.

"You do it. The only way you'll get rid of this stupid fear is if you come face to face with one."

The brunette stayed frozen. This time it was Rita's turn to roll her eyes.

"The poor little thing is more scared of you than you are of it."

"Everyone I've ever met is more scared of me than I am of them, that's no consolation." She muttered, briefly closing her eyes. The nurse took on a gentler tone.

"What's the worst it can do, hmm? Walk over your hand? It's only a house spider, it can't bite you. Probably." She added, grinning as a whole new level of fear blossomed on her boss' face.

"Connie I'm kidding!"

"Well stop it. This isn't funny, it's quite possibly the furthest thing from it."

"Alright alright. Give me a sec." Rita sighed, moving to Connie's desk and picking up an empty mug and an envelope. She shook out the last dregs of the woman's morning coffee and moved towards the spider.

"Here spidey spidey." She said softly, quickly darting forwards so fast that Connie jumped, before trapping the creature under the mug and above the envelope. The nurse opened the window with her elbow and gently shook the spider out.

"Bye bye." She smiled, watching the spider fall then quickly scuttle into the bushes and out of sight.

"You see, that wasn't so hard was it?" Rita said triumphantly, turning to face Connie who was tidying up her hair.

"Thank you, you may leave now."

"I never really wanted to enter." She said vaguely, smiling as she walked out of the office. However just as the door was about to fall shut, a question came to mind.

"Connie?" She asked, poking her head back inside. Her boss looked up, though gaze constantly flicking to now empty corner of her room.

"Why are you scared of them? Is there a reason?"

The brunette ran a thoughtful tongue over the inside of her lips, tongue trailing along the tops of her teeth as she sighed.

"If I tell you, you're not to breathe another word to anyone, do you hear me? It doesn't leave this office. The incident included."

Rita nodded before Connie took a deep breath and glanced to the floor beside her chair.

"Fine. I don't like spiders because I had a bad experience with them during my childhood."

The nurse waited for her to elaborate, but she quietened.

"Well?" She prompted. "Don't leave me in suspense!"

Connie rolled her eyes.

"Nosey thing aren't you. Alright."

She took another deep breath before coming out with it.

"When I was 6, an older boy at school gave me half of his sandwich and said I could have it in exchange for my crisps. I said yes because it was blueberry jam- my favourite. Turns out it was a joke, and he'd put-" She paused for a moment, a visible shudder sweeping her body."-he'd put 5 live spiders in it. But- but I didn't actually realise until I'd, I'd taken a bite."

Rita's mouth dropped.

"No. That's disgusting!"

"I felt it, I felt it crawling in my mouth and it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me to this very day."

"I can imagine. Well, I am actually quite sorry to hear that. I hope the kid got what was coming to him."

"Oh he did." At this point, Connie's eyes began to shine and the corners of her mouth twitched.

"I try and make Guy Self's life a living hell as often as I can." Her voice became airy, fear finally lifted. "It's funny because he doesn't even remember it was me he gave that dratted sandwich to, thinks I'm doing it just to piss him off. But I remember. His smug little face never changed a bit."

From the doorway, Rita couldn't help but grin.

"Good on you Mrs B. Good on you."

"Thank you." Connie said mildly. "Oh and Rita?" She called as the woman turned away.

"Mm?"

"Thanks."

"I'd say anytime, but please don't make this a habit."

The brunette nodded and they went their separate ways. It was only 15 minutes afterwards, when she heard Jacob being told off for his little nicknames, that she realised Connie never corrected her.

She called her Mrs B and she never said a word about it.


End file.
